White Sox have more favorable pitching matchups than Guardians amid crucial final week

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Anthony Kay. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

White Sox have more favorable pitching matchups than Guardians amid crucial final week

By Alan Rubenstein | Last updated Sep 22, 2026 7:17 PM ET

The Chicago White Sox have more favorable probable pitching matchups in the final week of the regular season than the Cleveland Guardians.

Opening play Tuesday, Cleveland led the White Sox by one game in the American League Central standings. The White Sox won the regular-season series against the Guardians to earn the tiebreaker.

Cleveland is on the road at the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals in its final six games of the 2026 season. The White Sox finish the regular season at Kansas City and host the Colorado Rockies this weekend.

Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA) is starting for Cleveland against Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.06) on Tuesday. Foster Griffin (15-5, 3.67) is starting for Cleveland against Sonny Gray (17-5, 2.82) for Boston on Wednesday, with the Guardians starter to be determined versus Ranger Suarez (8-4, 3.27) for the Red Sox on Thursday.

Anthony Kay (9-9, 4.41) is starting for the White Sox against Daniel Lynch (6-5, 3.29) for Kansas City on Tuesday. Erick Fedde (8-9, 3.90) starts for Chicago against Seth Lugo (7-9, 5.06) on Wednesday, with the White Sox starter to be determined versus Randy Dobnak (3-4, 3.08) on Thursday.

Over their final 6 games, the Guardians will have to deal with Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez, and likely Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron, and Daniel Lynch.

Meanwhile, the White Sox get Lynch, the Royals two other worst starters, and the Rockies pitching staff for their…
— Mike (@ChiSoxFanMike) September 21, 2026

Who will start for Guardians, White Sox over the weekend?

MLB.com does not list probable starters for the Guardians, Royals, Rockies or White Sox this weekend.

The White Sox play against a Colorado staff that is last in MLB with a 5.57 ERA. The A's, with a 5.44 ERA, are the only other team in MLB allowing more than five runs per game in 2026. Mason Adams (0-1, 5.09), scheduled to start for Colorado on Wednesday, is the only starter to rule out for the Rockies against the White Sox.

Kyle Freeland (4-10, 6.38) is starting for Colorado on Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Colorado could decide to bring Freeland back to start on Sunday. The six Colorado pitchers who have made at least 10 starts in 2026 have a minimum ERA of 5.36.

Alan Rubenstein

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